Scaffold-bracket.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

R. B. IRWIN.

SOAFFOLD BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23,1903.

UNITED sTA rns P 1ENT oFFIoE.

SCAFFOLD-BRACKET.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed December 23, 1903. Serial No. 186,366.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH E. IRWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ligonier, in the county of \Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Scaffold-Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a roof-scaffold and more particularly to brackets for this purpose adapted for use in supporting workmen on roofs of buildings for painting, shingling, and other purposes.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such devices.

With the foregoin object in view the invention resides in the precise combination and arrangement of parts and in the exact details of construction hereinafter described and claimed as a practical embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View of a portion of a roof, showing the improved bracket applied thereto in operative position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bracket, shown broken away. Fig. 3 is a front edge elevation of the bracket. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of portions of the bracket, showing the manner of connecting the same and a guard carried by one of the members.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a base bar or support, to one end of which is hinged or otherwise movably attached an upright or riser 2, formed with a series of longitudinallyalined openings 3, as shown by Fig. 3, to removably receive a clamping-bolt 4, having a suitable nut thereon. An extension member or arm 5 is adjustably secured to the inher side of the upright or riser 2 and has a re duced guard or tongue 6, adapted to be arranged uppermost and foldable into a corresponding slot 7, forming terminal projections at the adjacent end of a scaffold-holding bar or support 9, said terminal projections being hinged or otherwise movably attached to the extension member or arm 5 at a point adj acent to the base of the guard. By forming the tongue 6 upon the member 5 and the terminal projections upon the support 9 the strength of the device is material increased. If the tongue 6 were upon the supporting member 9, the device would lack the necessary strength. The opposite end of the hold ing bar or support 9 is hinged to the end of the base bar or support 1 at what may be termed the upper end of the latter when the bracket is arranged for use. The several parts thus far described are collapsible to reduce the same to compact form, and when adjusted for use the guard 6 projects above the upper surface of the holding-bar 5 to prevent the scaffold bed or board 10 from slipping off the bracket. The extension-arm 5 may be quickly adjusted to dispose the upper surface of the holding-bar 9 in horizontal position, and thus accommodate the application of the bracket to roofs having various pitches. Pairs of the brackets will be used to support a scaffold bed or board, as will be readily understood, and to hold each bracket in immovable position the base bar or support 1 has an opening 11 formed therein near the end to which the holding bar or support 9 is hinged, and removably fitted in the said opening 1] is the upturned reduced hooked terminal 12 of a hanger-bar 13, which has its opposite end formed with a laterally-projecting hook 14 to engage a nail that may be used in securing shingles to a roof at a distance above the bracket, the said bar being thin enough to be easily inserted between shingles, as shown by Fig. 1. It will be observed from the drawings that the hooked terminal 12 of the hanger-bar 13 and the laterally-projecting hook 14; are arranged at right angles with respect to each other, whereby the hooked terminal is adapted to project upwardly through the opening 11, and the laterallyprojecting hook 14 is adapted to engage a nail driven vertically into the roof.

In the use of the improved bracket the parts thereof are arranged, as shown by Fig. 1, to correspond to the pitch of the roof or so that the holding bar or support 9 will be dis posed in a horizontal plane. The hanger 13 is then secured in position and the bracket attached to such hanger by causing the hooked terminal to pass through the opening 11. After at least two of the brackets have been arranged, as set forth, in alinement the board or scaffold-bed 10 is disposed on the bars or supports 9. When it is desired to move the brackets, the hanger-bars 13 can be readily detached and connected to other nails at lower points, or in the case of re air of a roof the said hanger-bars can be easi y applied at any point that may be desired. At times it may be necessary to use only one bracket, and a rest or board of short length may be secured on the bar or support 9.

When the bracket is not in use, the parts thereof can be closely folded and stored within a comparatively small space.

In its precise combination and arrange- I ment of parts and in its exact details of construction the device of this invention constitutes an improvement over prior devices of a similar character.

In folding the bracket the bolt 4- is removed, the upright 2 folded outward in the plane of the base-bar 1, the extension-bar 5 swung outward and upward until it lies in a plane of the holding-bar 9, the tongue 6 folding in such movement of said extensionbar into the slot 7 of the holding-bar, and finally the bars 5 and 9 are swung downward over upon and in parallel relation with the bars 1 and 2 The bolt formed may then bepassed through alining openings in the bars 2 and 5 and the nut applied thereto to hold the parts fastened in folded position. It will be seen that this mode of operation will permit the bracket to fold in extremely close compass with the parts in compact relation and that by the action of the tongue 6 folding into the slot 7 the bar 5 may not only be adjusted to a position in line with the bar 9 for the folding action, but the tongue when fitted therein will serve to stay and support the hinge connection against lateralgor transverse strain.

Havin thus fully described the invention, what is c aimed as new is A scaffold-bracket comprising a base-bar, an upright hinged at its lower end to one end of the base-bar and provided with a row of openings, a holding-bar hin ed at its forward end to the opposite or orward end of the base-bar and provided at its rear end with a slotted or bifurcated portion, an extension arm or bar provided at its upper end with a tongue and hinged below the same to the bifurcated end of the holding-bar, said tongue being adapted to form a stop for the scafiold-board when the device is in use and to fold into the slotted portion to permit the upright and extension-bar to be swung outward and the respective bars to fold in parallel relation, and a bolt passing through the extension-bar and adapted to engage any one of the series of openings in the upright bar to adjustably connect the extension-bar thereto, said bolt being adapted to fasten said bars in folded or extended position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH E. IRWIN. Witnesses:

B. F. SHAFFER, J. M. SHAFFER. 

